A Click in the Shadows

I slipped beneath the heavy sofa fringe right as the room grew dark. In the dusty gloom, my fingers bumped into a small metal contraption—a forgotten wind-up tin beetle. I gave its tiny key three sharp twists with my soft hands, held my breath, and let go. It skittered across the polished floorboards with an erratic, rattling buzz before flipping upside down against a table leg. I couldn't help but clap silently, tilting my head as its metal legs continued to twitch in empty air.